Chandigarh, Nov 23 (TIWN) Sarabjit Singh started helping his father in farming since he was 12 years old. Over the decades, he not only diversified the farming activity, but also explored new markets to sell his produce.

At times, Sarabjit and his postgraduate son would drive down to Delhi from his nondescript village in Punjab's Sangrur district, dubbed as the country's grain bowl, to sell vegetables and fruits that they grow along with wheat and paddy.  But this time the 60-year-old farmer, who is just free from selling paddy and sowing the next wheat crop, is daily going from village to village to collect free ration. This is the part of the preparation they are making for laying an indefinite 'siege' of Delhi from November 26.  Singh, incidentally, is not the lone 'warrior' in the social movement.

At least one member from each household in his village is gearing up to seek the axing of the farm laws following the 'Delhi Chalo' slogan and the growing resentment against three agricultural laws passed by Parliament in September.  Farmers believe the free food is important to help sustain the protest movement for long. The dry foodstuff they have been gathering is enough to last three-four months because they know not when their protests will bear fruits.  Singh's Alipur village in Malerkotla tehsil is not an exception. 

A movement has been gaining ground at the grassroots across Punjab, which comprises 75 per cent of the farming community, against the 'draconian' laws that the farmers fear they will not be paid even the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government and be exploited at the hands of the corporate houses.  However, the Central government has been trying to convince the farmers on plea that the new laws will help farmers increase their income and free them from the middlemen.  Every day tens of thousands of people, largely womenfolk and children riding tractor-trailers, are collecting essentials, largely woolens, wheat flour, rice, lentils and other beans, from village to village in the state. 

With traditional folk songs on their lips, a group of men, women and children daily carry out 'prabhat pheris' ahead of the dawn by reminding people on blaring loudspeakers in villages and towns to actively support and participate in the 'Delhi Chalo' campaign.